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Parachute trial: Army sergeant to face retrial for attempted murder of wife after jury fail to reach verdict

Emile Cilliers arriving at court on Thursday. He will now face a retrial. Credit: PA

An Army sergeant is to face a retrial on charges of attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute after the first jury failed to reach verdicts.

Emile Cilliers, 37, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, denied throughout a seven-week trial at Winchester Crown Court two charges of attempted murder and a third count of damaging a gas fitting.

Victoria Cilliers, a highly-experienced parachuting instructor, suffered near-fatal injuries after both her main and reserve parachutes failed when she took part in a jump at the Army Parachute Association at Netheravon, Wiltshire in April 2015.